Vice Admiral Justin Jones defends right to heckle after ANZAC Day welcome to countries marred by booing

Members of Australia’s military community are backing one of the country’s most senior officers who highlighted the importance of “freedom of expression” following the booing of Indigenous welcomes during this year’s Anzac Day services.

On Saturday multiple hecklers at commemorations across Melbourne, Sydney and Perth interrupted Welcome to Country addresses with loud boos and cries from the crowd, prompting widespread condemnation of the noisy protests.

In an interview with Sky News following the dawn service at the Australian War Memorial, the Defence Force’s Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones, was asked for his reaction to the “disappointing” incidents.

“Well, one of the things that we in the defence force are defending, as I’ve said, is our democracy and freedom of expression,” Admiral Jones responded.

“So, whilst that might be disappointing, those are exactly the principles that the Australian Defence Force is designed to defend.”

Defence Minister Richard Marles was asked by the ABC on Monday whether he agreed with the Admiral’s assessment and if it was appropriate for a “very senior member of the ADF” to be articulating such views.

“The principle of freedom of speech can be exercised by all of us. And let me say I’m exercising my freedom of speech right now to make it absolutely clear that the booing that occurred on Anzac Day was a disgrace, and that’s the only way in which it ought to be characterised,” Mr Marles said.

“We should be taking Anzac Day as a moment to show respect, and that’s what a Welcome to Country is. And Indigenous Australians deserve that respect.

“Indigenous Australians, who served in our defence force, deserve that respect. And that’s what we should be thinking about when we are responding to really, the disgraceful acts of booing on Anzac Day.”

When pressed on his reaction to Admiral Jones’ comments, Mr Marles declared: “Let there be no mistake about it. What occurred on Anzac Day was a disgrace in terms of that booing, and it should be condemned in the strongest possible terms, and that’s what I’m doing”.

Over the weekend the RSL also condemned the heckling and booing that disrupted multiple Welcome to Country addresses at Anzac Day services, describing the behaviour as “appalling”.

Serving and former defence figures have also widely criticised the actions of those who interrupted Indigenous addresses on Saturday, but many are concerned that Admiral Jones will be “unfairly” reprimanded by the government for his comments.

Their concerns are shared by Neil James, the executive director of the Australia Defence Association, who argues the ADF’s job has “long been helping preserve our liberty”.

“And the ADF’s institutional culture rightly remains resolutely non-partisan in doing so. Defending the right to free speech is in the ADF’s DNA and doesn’t mean agreeing with any one side in public debate.”

“It instead means defending the right of any Australian to express a reasonable opinion, even on controversial issues. And given some welcomes to country do express partisan-political claims, some free speech doubt about such claims is surely to be expected.”

Inside defence circles Admiral Jones is considered one of the country’s most respected military leaders, having joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1988 and deployed operationally to the Middle East multiple times.

In 2022 he was appointed as the Commander of Operation Sovereign Borders and later that year he complied with a demand from prime minister Scott Morrison to publicise the interception of a suspected asylum seeker boat on election day.

Two years later the Albanese Government promoted Vice Admiral Jones to Chief of Joint Operations, where he oversees the ADF’s various international military operations and exercises.